Boston Scientific announces first commercial procedures with Watchman DeviceThis week, three patients in the U.S. received the first implants of the Boston Scientific Watchman Left Atrial Appendage Closure, or LAAC, Device. The WATCHMAN Device offers a novel stroke risk reduction option for high-risk patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation, or AF, who are seeking an alternative to long-term warfarin therapy. The Watchman Device received FDA approval on Friday, March 13. The first Watchman Device procedures in the U.S. were performed by Shephal K. Doshi, M.D., director of Cardiac Electrophysiology and Pacing at Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, CA, and Saibal Kar, M.D., director of the Cardiovascular Intervention Center Research at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles, CA.

St. Jude Medical downgraded to Market Perform from Outperform at Wells FargoWells Fargo downgraded St. Jude Medical (STJ) to Market Perform saying competitive pressures will drive 2015 market share losses in the company's cardiac rhythm management business, which represents 50% of total sales. Wells believes the launch of CardioMEMS will not be strong enough to offset the headwinds in CRM unit. The firm thinks Boston Scientific's (BSX) earlier than expected approval for its next generation subcutaneous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator called Emblem will drive share gains against St. Jude and Medtronic (MDT) in the single chamber ICD market. Wells cut its price target range for St. Jude shares to $69-$70 from $73-$74. The medical technology company closed yesterday down $2.01 to $65.45.

Boston Scientific announces FDA, CE Mark approval of EMBLEM S-ICD systemBoston Scientific has received FDA and CE Mark approval of the EMBLEM Subcutaneous Implantable Defibrillator, or S-ICD, system. The EMBLEM S-ICD System is a treatment option that provides protection for patients at risk of sudden cardiac arrest, yet leaves the heart and vasculature untouched, minimizing the risk of complications associated with conventional transvenous implantable cardioverter-defibrillators. A controlled and limited market release has begun in a small number of European centers with a broad European launch scheduled for May and subsequent U.S. launch planned for the third quarter of 2015.

Becton Dickinson completes acquisition of CareFusion Becton Dickinson (BDX) announced that it completed its acquisition of CareFusion (CFN) pursuant to the terms of its previously announced Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated October 5, 2014. Pursuant to the terms of the Merger Agreement, upon completion of the acquisition, CareFusion became a wholly-owned subsidiary of BD. Excluding transaction-related expenses relating to the closing, BD expects the acquisition to have an immaterial impact on the company's results of operations in the second fiscal quarter, which ends on March 31, 2015.